That monster really did a number on me...
Valon clutched his right arm in pain. The stinging sensation from that monstrous harpy's bite never left him. The technician had suffered numerous injuries from his extraction work before, some were even closely similar. He could tolerate the pain but with his present condition, it was agitating, to say the least.
A myriad of antiseptics was applied to the large gash that stretched across his arm, but it did little help in easing the pain. He had advanced emergency medical supplies stored in his backpack that were at least able to alleviate the substantial damage. The problem was that if he were to suffer from something similar again, he'd have to improvise on first aid.
Or he would just bleed to death.
The technician didn't have time to worry about the giant wound on his arm as it was the least of his problems. Right now, he and his companions were making their way to Happiness Village. The injury was bearable to a degree but keeping his companions from finding out about said injury was a more grueling task. And he knew exactly what would happen if they saw it.
It was as if he now absolutely hated being asked any sort of question ever since he was isekai'd in this world. He could make another clever lie about the wound, but that was utterly dumb even by his tired self's standards.
And what was worse was that there was another Monster Girl up ahead.
His instinct came first before his mind did as he made a mad dash behind a giant rock near a tree. When he was sure that the Bee Girl wasn't aware of his presence, he began to spectate the battle between the aspiring hero and his hymenopterous opponent.
Well... crap, I'm already hiding...
Valon needed to come up with something quick right after the fight concluded. With his current status with his acquaintances, he most likely had no reasonable excuse not to physically help Luka fight Monster Girls. He practically just showed everyone in Iliasburg how very capable he was at defending himself even without being in the right sound of mind.
I don't know if I should feel good about that fact or not.
Valon was yet again at another crossroads. Everything that he did make it so that he appeared to be someone who had a lot to hide, which painfully wasn't too far from the truth.
He wasn't dumb, he began noticing the way Alice seemed to narrow her eyes whenever he said something... slightly questionable. And he knew she was on to him. Even if she told him herself that she respected him for having secrets, he knew he could only lie to her and to Luka for so long before Alice finally grew tired and used her Eye of Hypnosis on him.
And if Luka began to be doubtful...
Valon didn't want to finish that thought. It didn't help that both Luka and Alice now knew what he was capable of, especially about his knowledge of things.
The worst of them all was that he was unsure whether he was being cautiously monitored by the Light Goddess 24/7 now, or worse if she could hear his thoughts. Though that would mean that Ilias would probably be doing something about him as of now, but he still couldn't be too sure. He also had not forgotten about the mysterious hooded guy he saw before.
His thoughts died the moment he heard Alice insult Luka about no longer throwing salt at his opponents.
Goddammit... well at least Luka finally beat that bee girl...
Valon was observing the fight while he was contemplating his thoughts and he couldn't help but feel that Luka's performance was a bit... off. He wasn't too sure, considering he didn't know exactly how Luka fought in the game but he looked slightly... distracted for some reason while he was fighting the Bee Girl.
There were times when he saw him stopping momentarily for some reason and then he also spotted him shaking his head from time to time. Those mistakes led to him being exposed to the Bee Girl's attacks, which he could've avoided easily.
But then again, it's not like you can actually 'dodge' in the game as it followed a turn mechanic where you hit first and then your opponent hits you afterwards, except when you acquire Sylph, but still...
He didn't know why Luka's fight happened the way it did but it didn't matter to him at the moment. With a sigh of resignation, Valon phlegmatically stood up from his hiding spot before approaching his companions. His face held an expression of stoicism mixed with fatigue. If he had to keep lying to his companions to protect them from the nigh inevitable truth, then so be it.
Besides, I'm only here for my brother... they shouldn't really care about my agenda or anything about my full self.
Valon still had no idea how long he would be with Luka and Alice and if he ever did plan to leave them. If he left the group, however, he would be all by himself. He knew how weak he was in the environment the world of Monster Girl Quest offered. And he was aware that even if he was able to overwhelm Granberia the way he did, he wouldn't be able to hold that high ground for long.
Dying was not an option.
He came here to rescue his brother and he would scour the entire eroge game world to find him, even if it took him years and even if he had to struggle to keep his body and mind clean from all the filth that this world openly provided.
But right now, his focus was to make sure to keep his present companions in the dark. If it made him feel any better, he was protecting them from the painful truth that will undoubtedly change everything about their perception of reality—their beliefs, their identities, their sense of self.
Knowing the idea of you being a fictional character in a fictional world would be the most painful slap in the face you'll ever experience. And unlike a slap mark, this 'mark' will never go away.
"Hmm... you hid away again. This time behind a rock."
Valon kept his composure from the questioning eyes of his companions, though he could see that Alice wasn't particularly hostile but rather just extremely curious, like a cat messing around a ball of yarn for the first time. Luka appeared to be curious as well but Valon couldn't help but notice that he had the same melancholic expression he'd seen from him before.
What was that about?
"Is it still out of fear or discomfort around monsters? Or something else?" Alice continued.
"Remember when I explained to you how my exoshield worked?"
"Yes, it uses electromagnetism... was it? To absorb physical attacks? What about it?"
"I was too stupid to realize that it broke back when I was fighting at Iliasburg... another mistake I failed to acknowledge..."
"You just remembered that now?"
Valon knew what Alice wanted to get from his response and he was fully expecting her questions like he was predicting his opponent's next move in a game of chess. He did tell them about some of the features his M.A.D. had before they reached the Irina Mountains, but he left out a lot of important details, of which he also suspected that Alice was aware of.
But he figured that he would only tell them in a cautious manner, if they asked for it explicitly or if he knew that it would be needed to make some form of a valid excuse for different circumstances.
For the first time, Valon was confident with a response.
"As ashamed as I am to admit, yes... yes I just remembered now."
Alice narrowed her eyes, contemplating the man's answer. She knew that he didn't fully explain everything about his gadgets and devices, which she was somewhat alright with. But she can't help but feel that there was more to what Valon was implying.
"You explained that you could activate this module anywhere and anytime, though... or did you fail to tell us that it's a singular use only? Like is it broken for good?
"Well... that's the thing, it's not supposed to be a one-time use. You see I developed the exoshield to have a cooldown."
"Cooldown?"
"Like when it breaks, I would have to wait for some time to use it again. Think of it like it needs time to repair itself when it breaks before I can use it once more. So every time it breaks, it goes under its cooldown, and then after that cooldown, the exoshield would be repaired allowing continuous usage."
"I see... that is awfully convenient."
"Yeah, but I guess I didn't consider the amount of damage her sword would've dealt. The cooldown should be done and the module should be activatable by now but after seeing that there was an error in the module, I knew that it was broken for good."
That wasn't a complete lie. Valon's exoshield technically did break and he couldn't activate it at the moment, but he knew the real reason why. The cooldown was unbearably long to the point that even he was frustrated by it. Knowing that it could've protected him from the monstrous harpy he recently encountered irritated him.
He could activate it again right after the cooldown was finished. So in a way, he also couldn't activate it at that moment. But Valon made that excuse on purpose. It was something he already considered and despite the risks that it might develop in the near future, he knew it was a good act to finally convince his acquaintances implicitly about why he refused to get involved in Luka's battles.
Valon smiled inwardly when he noticed Alice's expression. He knew that Alice finally formulated something in her head out of the coincidental claims and actions he performed so far.
"I see, I understand now. Because of this shield module... you have some form of protection to help you in battle. You, however, only use this when you absolutely need to as once it breaks, you would have to wait for some time to use it again. With the way you described it before, it seemed powerful enough to protect you against incredible forms of attacks but continuous damage would lead it to break eventually. In a way, because you have protection, you at least feel like you have a fighting chance against monsters but without it, you feel extremely vulnerable."
Not a nice way of putting it but yeah pretty much. Without my S.P.A.C.E. suit, I'm practically nothing...
"Yes, you're right."
Valon saw that Alice was analyzing something in her mind. It looked like she was trying to piece a bunch of information in her head but he could also see the slightest signs that she was starting to acknowledge his validation as somewhat appropriate. He could also see that Luka was slightly surprised, almost as if he had his own revelations as well.
Though, it looked odd when for a moment he wanted to say something but instead he remained silent, unmoving from his spot. Valon couldn't read his full expression but it looked like he was having doubts about something. Whether it was related to his strange behavior of showing this particular melancholy or not, he didn't know. He wanted to ask him about it but Alice beat him to it with another question.
"Then I would also assume that during the encounters with the Slug Girl and the Mandragora Girl, your module was still under cooldown?"
"Yes."
"So when you fought Granberia, it was no longer in this cooldown?"
"Actually, it was no longer in cooldown the night before we went to Iliasburg."
Valon felt it was necessary to add that information to make it seem like it was not a matter of coincidence that he could suddenly activate his exoshield when Granberia was attacking Iliasburg.
"But even so, what's stopping you from using your mini-bombs? Even without your exoshield, you could've helped in defeating that Bee Girl if you used one of those throwable projectiles you had. You don't have to get close, you can just throw them from afar and you don't even have to use the explosive one. And if you're worried about accidentally hitting Luka, you could just give him a warning."
Valon had already predicted this question so he answered with ease. "Oh, I am running low on them. Yes, I can make more but I need spare bombs so I can easily replicate the electronic parts for easy mass production and I need time to make them. And yes, another mistake on my part... overusing my weapons which I am now severely limited of."
"I see..." Alice stated stoically before stealing a short glance at Luka.
The lamia wanted to say something more but she quickly thought back to her conversation with the fake hero when they were searching in the Irina Mountains together which made her stop herself. The boy in question told her some pretty interesting things which led to her getting more confused with her entire situation, or more precisely, her acquaintances' situations.
She was... baffled to say the least but remembering that they had an important business to attend to at Happiness Village motivated her to compromise in constructing her thoughts.
Getting to taste the village's famous honey was more important after all.
"Well anyhow, we have more important things to do. It would be pleasant if we could reach the village before nightfall," Alice stated.
Valon could only nod in slight embarrassment as he followed his companions, knowing that he knew that it was mostly his fault why they were now only heading towards the village. But he was slightly surprised and relieved that Alice didn't particularly show any signs of hostility towards him. Okay, maybe she was a bit agitated but he expected her to be more vocal about it.
Perhaps it was because he somewhat helped the Monster Lord make a pseudo-truthful conclusion about his overall behavior in their journey so far. It still held an incredible amount of risk of being exposed but it was the best idea he could've ever come up with at that moment. He liked to think that it was at least the first step of finally limiting his chances of interference. Where at least his acquaintances could acknowledge why he was 'uncomfortable' with the idea of fighting Monster Girls alongside Luka.
The best part of it all was that he wasn't completely lying either. Sure he was hiding the full truth but when taken at face value, all of his reactions and demeanor led to the same result from the reasonings he made. He truly didn't want them to know more about his gadgets and possessions, he was indeed uncomfortable in the presence of monster girls, he lacked a lot of resources, he wasn't good at direct confrontations in terms of fighting, and his brother was missing—all of these things were all true, just with the slightly incorrect explanations to each of them.
Valon felt like he was starting to make things right when he remembered the numerous problems he still had to deal with. The search for his brother was not over and he still had to decide the right time to leave Luka and Alice or if it was even wise to leave them at all. There were also other consequences known and unknown from his previous interference when he fought Granberia such as the current status of the Four Bandits.
There was also that strange hooded guy and the possible rematch that Granberia might want from him.
Oh, and who could forget about Ilias?
Can't forget about her of course.
The technician felt a sudden painful sting, reminding him that he had an injured arm.
Keeping this injury in check and that strange harpy monster... gotcha. What was up with that anyway?
Valon certainly did NOT remember some monster that came out of Dark Souls with that amount of savagery being a thing in Monster Girl Quest. He was pretty sure it was a Harpy Girl with its general resemblance to one but it didn't act like it.
Well, for one thing, it had weird protrusions all over its body. Its talons were longer and it had sharp teeth. I can tell she looked female so it was reasonable to assume that it was a Monster Girl who was really eager to bite my face off than molesting me. It also seemed... primal? Or like she wasn't in her standard free-will self and more of the uncontrolled raging animal self... if harpies can even be like that...
And then suddenly she became larger and had even more protrusions running across her body. I can also recall her spitting some vile liquid that seemed acidic? Then she looked more monstrous and could tank my mini-bombs like they were nothing! Was it even a harpy?
If it wasn't, then what was it? What caused her to be there, exactly where Valon was? Why was she at that cave in the Irina Mountains?
Even if Valon knew that a single act of interference can create chaotic and unpredictable consequences due to chaos theory, what led him encountering that monster? Did he have a direct or an indirect connection to that beast's existence? And if he did, what was it? What was the connection and how was he involved in any way, shape, or form?
Is it even from this world?
It was a disturbing thought. The chance of an occurrence outside the video game's world was not really that low nor was it a surprising possibility, but it would mean that he affected the world that badly for it to even happen. Or perhaps it was a complete possibility regardless of how much he interfered.
What, am I gonna encounter the freaking Apoptosis now?
Sarcastic as it sounded, it was horrifyingly possible. But it wasn't as horrifying as the afterthoughts that followed.
Looking back at how the harpy girl behaved like it was the angriest and the most savage thing he saw, it wasn't actually the angriest or the most savage creature he encountered before. The way it behaved, the way it was determined to bite his face off, and the roaring and moaning it made, it all kinda felt familiar to him.
Almost like the creatures he faced back at—
No...
Valon could feel his blood freeze. He felt cold, dread suddenly running through his veins. He felt like he was suffocating from the lack of air and felt like he was reliving a nightmare that he wanted to stop but couldn't.
No... no... there's no way, right? There's just no way. No, it's... not. Okay maybe there are some similarities but... no, it's not real, that's not possible. I'm merely just speculating about it but I'm wrong. Yeah, I'm wrong. There's no way that what I'm possibly thinking about is true. I mean that's just absurd... right?
Right?
Sure they behaved exactly the same like a creature out for blood and all they possess is this unyielding rage that might probably put the Incredible Hulk's to shame, at least that green guy talked and actually possessed some sort of intelligence and not just a mindless creature whose only purpose is to kill. It's not like the harpy girl can shoot plasma or anything... just acid... from its mouth...
Valon gulped in fear the more he delved deep with his conclusion but then he remembered a few things that he noticed from the harpy girl that somehow calmed his nerves.
Wait... but she blew up, right? That's actually the most confusing part. Why did she blow up? She had me pinned down but suddenly she was convulsing like crazy and then she blew up... her entire body exploded like a balloon and all her blood and internal organs were all over the place.
And even if I had the sneaking suspicion of her possible origin, it doesn't work that way. It doesn't turn you into—GGGRRHHH!
He was reminded once more by the stinging sensation he felt on his arm. He clutched it involuntarily with his right arm, careful not to arouse any suspicion from himself. He glanced at his companions and saw them talking about something when he noticed that a village was looming in the distance.
Well, at least, we're close. Good thing too, I need a break from all this thinking anyway.
It didn't take long for the group to reach the settlement. From where they were standing, they could see a fair amount of houses and various structures, though the town looked like it centered around agriculture and pastures. They could see moderately-sized farmlands, horse stables, carts filled with various crops and vegetables, and small stalls.
Valon noticed the village's main attraction—the bee farm. He could see organized boxes and trays laid down in straight columns, and of course, the plethora of beehives housing thousands of bees. But he knew that there was something else more noticeable in the village.
"So this is Happiness Village?" Luka was the first to break the silence. "It doesn't look like anything horrible is happening..."
"Are you blind, you idiot?" Alice scoffed.
"Eh?"
"Do you see any men? Can you still say it isn't unusual?"
Luka observed the village carefully and realized that Alice was right.
"You're right... I only see women..." Luka stated before pointing to the little boy that was helping the women on the bee farm. "Except for that one."
"Oh travelers, I see."
The three turned their attention to the woman who was approaching them from the bee farm.
"You came all the way here, but we don't really have anything to entertain you with," the woman continued. "Due to a shortage of manpower, we have a shortage of our specialty Happiness Honey too."
"That would be because of the lack of men, I presume," Luka deduced. "Where are they anyway?"
"Waaaaahhhh!"
"What's going on?!" Luka asked before running towards the source of the scream.
Finally, Luka stumbled upon the source of the noise and what caused it. There, at the other end of the bee farm, he saw the little boy from earlier who was now being grabbed by a Harpy Girl with her talons. Before the Monster Girl was able to take the boy with her, Luka called her attention.
"Stop! Let go of the boy!"
Luka then proceeded to pull out his sword, Angel Halo, as he approached the harpy. All around him, the villagers quickly ran inside their homes.
"Huh? I haven't seen you in this village before... are you a traveler?" the Harpy Girl asked, sizing up the hero with lewd eyes.
The Harpy Girl eventually released the boy but not before giving Luka a salacious smirk.
"Alright, I'll let the boy go," the Harpy Girl said as she eyed Luka like it was the best-tasting dessert she had ever seen. "Instead, I'll kidnap you!"
"Go, I'll take care of this!" Luka commanded the frightened little boy.
"O-okay!"
Luka assumed a fighting stance, his hand gripping the monstrous blade. Despite its size, it felt incredibly light to wield. It still felt alien for him to use such weapon, a weapon with magical properties capable of sealing a monster's powers and physical form, turning them into weaker versions of themselves.
The hero momentarily stared at his weapon. For a short moment, he felt his grip loosening, like his fingers were hesitant to hold the sword's hilt. But why were his fingers like that?
It was his weapon was it not?
It was, wasn't it?
Or was it really his?
Luka shook his head vigorously from the negative thoughts. They were all the same as all the rest, thoughts that continued to doubt him, something he had been experiencing just recently.
It was frustrating.
He partly knew why he was suddenly having these doubts but he wished he didn't have to suffer from their wrath every time he fought a monster.
Especially now that he had a weapon that allowed him to go all-out against his opponents.
"Oh? What's wrong? Can't take your eyes off of me?" the Harpy Girl gave a lustful wink. "Don't worry, we'll have some fun once I take you back to my nest! And then you can enjoy ogling at my body while we make lots of children. Or if you want, we can start making them right here, right now?"
Focus Luka... this isn't the time to dwell on negative thoughts. Right now, I have to stop this Harpy Girl from kidnapping any more people.
He wanted to finish this as quickly as he could and he hoped he had improved his skills by then.
"Take this!"
With full force pushing his feet, he dashed straight to the Harpy Girl before delivering a quick slash. Acknowledging the sword's properties allowed him to not hold back his weapon's momentum.
However, despite the strong force of his attack, the Harpy Girl was quick enough to react as she speedily flapped her wings. The Harpy Girl flew into the sky, completely avoiding the hero's attempt of hurting her.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Luka blurted out in frustration after realizing that his attack didn't even touch his opponent.
"How's it unfair? I'm flying with my own wings," the Harpy Girl replied mockingly.
"That's true..."
Why the hell didn't I think of that? Of course, she can use her wings, she's a freaking harpy! But if she can just fly away whenever I attack her then how am I supposed to hit her?
Luka was at a loss. He quickly tried to think of something when doubts started to fill his mind once again. He could feel his hands slightly tremble in uncertainty as he tried to assess his current situation.
It always felt like this. Here he was learning new moves or acquiring new skills when his next opponent turned out to be something he couldn't hit, couldn't hurt, or was too strong for his weapon. And then it led him to become helpless.
Helpless.
"Ahhh!"
Luka recoiled in shock when he felt something caress his crotch. His gesture led him staggering a few steps back, almost losing his composure.
"Ooohhh, that felt good, huh?" the Harpy Girl giggled in delight.
Luka gritted his teeth in annoyance before quickly standing back up, preparing another attack at his disposal. He concentrated his momentum on his legs as he oriented his weapon directly at his opponent's neck in a swift motion.
"Take this! Demon Decapitation!"
The Harpy Girl simply flapped her wings moments before the hero's sword took its position where she once was. She gave him another look of mockery as she stared at him from the sky.
"That will never hit me!"
"Guh! So, this won't work either?"
Luka felt more annoyed, knowing that his current best technique wasn't even quick enough to hit her. He wanted to finish this fight but he couldn't even score a single hit on her.
"Gahhh!"
Luka felt feathery tenderness on his crotch. He gritted his teeth in frustration, seeing the harpy caressing him with her wings. Acting in retaliation, he swung his blade again, but the harpy was still able to avoid his attack.
"Oh come on, would you just put that weapon down? Just let me have fun with you, I promise it'll feel good. And who knows, maybe you'd have fun too~"
Luka swung his blade angrily, but his attack missed and the strong momentum made him stagger forward, almost tripping over. But he was able to balance himself quickly, assuming another fighting stance.
He looked at the Harpy Girl who was only a few feet away from him, eying him with hunger.
He didn't like it one bit.
Not solely because of the monster's immoral intentions toward him.
No.
He hated how she was toying with him.
Mocking him.
Mocking him because she knew.
She knew he can't hit her.
He can't hit her because she was too fast for him.
And she knew that no matter how fast he could perform his attacks, he would always miss.
Because he was too slow for her.
He was slow.
Unlike him.
Luka held his weapon tightly, sprinting towards his opponent before delivering another Demon Decapitation. The Harpy Girl, however, rolled her eyes in amusement, fully anticipating the reaction from the impulsive boy. She simply flapped her wings, the upward force allowing her to soar high into the sky, completely avoiding the hero's attack.
"Why don't you just give up, hmm?" the Harpy Girl teased. "You know I'll just fly away whenever you come close."
"Grrr..."
Luka continued to attack the monster with his sword but the harpy would always graciously dodge it. Meanwhile, the harpy would just retaliate in a quick manner right after the hero performed his attacks. It was another one-sided battle for the hero. It looked like he was trying to swat an annoying fly that was simply too fast and the fly would just land on him, reminding him how pathetic he looked for hopelessly trying.
Why can't I hit her?
Duh, she has wings?
Of course, I know that! But... that's so unfair!
Like the weapon you're holding right now that has strange magical properties that can seal monsters?
Yeah... but still...
The fight went on for a little while. Both of them started to grow tired as time went by. But because Luka was using more force in his attacks and grew more frustrated every time he didn't hit her, it was sufficient to say that he was feeling the fatigue more.
Luka was getting exhausted, panting wildly as he momentarily pulled his attention away from the harpy to catch his breath. Unfortunately for him, this was all what the harpy needed to pin him down. She, too, was getting tired from all the evading and flying that she did so when she saw the hero taking a short rest, she took the opportunity to claim her prize.
The hero was too slow to register the harpy's next move. Only when he was flat on the ground that he noticed that the Harpy Girl was on top of her, licking her lips as she gazed at him like he was the sweetest morsel around. One of the monster's talons was straddled on top of his groin, the pushing pressure was enough to elicit a moan from the boy.
"Oh! What cute voice," the Harpy Girl remarked salaciously. "Hehehe... I can't resist any longer! Time to mate~"
Luka panicked when he felt her talons pulling his pants. He was already getting weaker with all the harassment from the harpy's previous attacks. His first instinct was to struggle against the monster's grip but her talons pinned him tightly.
"Oh? Squirming I see? Now come on now, just hold still and we'll both feel good after a while, I promise~"
He tried to think of something quickly when he realized that though he couldn't move his torso or his legs, he noticed that his arms weren't bound. He could've technically used his arms to help himself break free from the monster's grasp but he was far too exhausted to perform something vigorous. He wanted to exploit this opportunity by doing something less strenuous.
That's when he realized that he could attack her with his weapon, contemplating that it was indeed a more practical approach than struggling to get her off of him. This was his perfect chance to finally land a hit on her, when she least expected it and when she thought that she now had the upper hand considering that she was pinning him down.
It wasn't ideal to wait for something like this to happen but he wouldn't complain if it had to be this way. Luka waited for the right moment, waiting for her to be caught off guard by his unsuspecting attack. He didn't want to waste this chance and he was already tired from the fight.
One wrong swing and she might dodge my attack again. And if she saw me attack her like this, she'd become warier of me from now on. I have to time this right.
Luka finally saw the window of opportunity, planning to make the attack. Then he felt cold dread when he realized that something was wrong. He was too dumb that he didn't acknowledge it before and now he would have to pay the price for his foolishness.
He was not holding Angel Halo.
Where did it go?! How did I not realize I wasn't holding it?!
He looked around frantically, spotting the weapon a few inches from his fingers. How he dropped it, he didn't know. But what he did know was that he needed that weapon now.
"Ahhhh!"
Luka moaned in pleasure when he felt the harpy's talons fiercely pressing on his now-exposed member. The Harpy Girl must have now completely pulled his pants off of him, the warm touch from her talons sent electric shivers through his body.
He felt ashamed mixed with annoyance, realizing that he was practically being humiliated through another act of molestation. He couldn't register the lewd remarks coming from the Harpy Girl. He could only hear her saying something about making babies and feeling good. He was slowly succumbing to the pleasure, his head feeling hazy from the gentle caresses from the monster girl.
But he couldn't surrender now, he had to do something. Feeling angry with himself for even thinking that he'd let the Harpy Girl have her way with him, he focused his remaining energy on grabbing his weapon. It was just mere inches away from him, he only needed a little push.
His torso was pinned down by one of her talons and because he was already exhausted, he couldn't struggle more intensely than he wished. And the fact that the Harpy Girl was now lowering her exposed sex towards his own, did not help his case at all.
Just a little more!
Through an unexpected miracle, the Harpy Girl's constant movements allowed him to push forward with the force he needed for his fingers to finally touch the hilt of the blade. He quickly motioned his fingers to grab hold of the weapon with all the efforts he exerted, enough to trigger unwanted muscular pain in his hands. In a matter of seconds, he finally had Angel Halo in his grasp.
He was just almost over the edge when he swung his mighty blade upon her unsuspecting foe. The blade struck through the monster, its magical properties taking effect. The Harpy Girl suddenly cried in pain, making her flap away from her formerly pinned-down victim.
She was caught off guard by his attack and whatever she felt from the attack didn't feel right. There was something about it that suddenly made her weak and frightened. She turned towards the boy with a fearful expression, no longer wanting to do anything to him.
"I'll... I'll let you go with just this much today..."
The Harpy Girl flew away until she was but a speck from the hero's vision.
"Ha..."
Luka panted in exhaustion, the fatigue from his battle taking immense effect. He placed one of his hands over his chest, feeling its continuous contraction and expansion. He was too tired to move but he remained vigilant from any more possible dangers that might come across in his vulnerable state, despite wanting to take a rest for a while.
After a few minutes of nothing showing up and making sure that everything around him was nowhere out of the ordinary, he decided to lie where he was for a little while. As much as his mind wanted nothing more than do something else more important with the uninterrupted time he now had, his body was in no state to perform anything strenuous.
Not after the fight he just had.
"What happened!?"
"The traveler drove the Harpy away?"
"Amazing!"
The hero suddenly heard numerous murmurs coming from different directions. From his peripheral vision, he then noticed that the villagers in Happiness Village were coming out of their homes.
"Ughhh... I wanted to rest some more but alright..."
Acknowledging that the village's inhabitants were now slowly approaching him, he forced himself to stand up from the ground, now ready to meet the other villagers. As he took note of the people who were gathering around him, he observed that there really weren't any men at all. He also noticed that despite the friendly demeanor they had, he observed that some of them were looking at him funny.
"Driving off the harpy... you must be really skilled!"
From among the crowd of villagers, an old woman stepped up in front to face the young hero.
"Greetings, I am the village chief's wife. But since he was kidnapped, I'm the acting village chief."
"Kidnapped? What do you mean?" Luka inquired curiously. "How was he kidnapped?"
The old woman kept her serious and stern expression but suddenly a faint blush grew on her cheeks, briefly turning her eyes away from the hero.
"Huh? W-what's wrong?" the hero asked in concern, taking note of the sudden discomfort that the elderly woman had.
"I would say more but... ahem..." the acting chief stifled a cough, a gesture implying that there was something wrong... or rather a more awkward situation taking place.
Luka didn't know what the acting chief was trying to imply nor did he know why all the women in the crowd were suddenly blushing, some even gazing at him lecherously which made him uncomfortable. That was until he heard a familiar female voice near him.
"Hey, fake hero! Quite the show you're giving down there!"
The mocking remark made the hero look down, realizing that he wasn't wearing anything underneath. He then discerned the embarrassing predicament he was in, his face turning a deep shade of red. Without saying anything and keeping his head down to somewhat alleviate his embarrassment, he covered his family jewels, protecting them from the predatory gazes coming from the crowd as he quickly searched for his pants, finally finding them on a patch of grass.
"Finally! I'm done."
A young man whooped in joy, looking at his finished task in all its glory. In front of him was a stack of paper that wasn't in the least bit organized, the structure faintly wobbling like a Jenga tower after nine turns of play.
He stretched his arms before yawning, conveying his exhaustion for the world to see. Only, he was currently alone in his room. He didn't know how long he was doing his work but he was certainly sure that he had not seen a single person all day.
Until he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door, which was a few feet away from his desk, revealed a woman in a distinct uniform. Her attire was dark green in color, consisting of large round buttons and an insignia with a cross and a star attached to the right pocket.
"Hey, Allen. Are you busy?"
"I actually just finished signing last week's extraction reports, why?"
"Can we talk?"
"Sure. Do you want to go someplace else or—"
"Here is fine, if you don't mind that is."
"Oh, I don't mind. Well, take a seat."
The man named Allen gestured for his visitor to enter the room. The woman nodded in acknowledgment, closing the door before taking one of the monobloc chairs by the wall and taking a seat. Allen cautiously moved the large stack of papers to the side, doing his best to make sure the paper stack didn't collapse. After setting aside the paper tower, he stood up from his chair and approached a nearby water dispenser.
"You want water or maybe you want something in the fridge?"
"Oh, no, no, no... I'm not thirsty."
Allen heard her but just shrugged as he reached for a plastic cup, pushing the faucet, causing water to start filling the cup. He then took a sip from the cup as he walked back to his desk. He placed the cup that still had water before sitting down on the swivel chair.
After a few seconds of silence, the woman opened her mouth to tell him something but stopped when she saw him raise one of his hands, making a stop sign gesture. He once again grabbed his cup, drinking its contents until it was empty. He gave a contented 'aahh' after he finished his drink, before throwing the cup behind him without looking.
The faint sound of a metallic thud told him that the cup landed inside the trash bin.
"Umm... the cup landed on the 3D printer."
Or so he thought.
"Let me guess," Allen spoke. "You wanted to talk to me about Valon?"
He didn't need to hear her answer as the woman's gloomy expression told all of it for him. Allen had already expected this. It made sense for the woman in front of him to be anxious about one of her closest friends.
One of THEIR closest friends.
"It's just that... he's no longer with us and that he's in who-knows-where," the woman addressed with concern. "And he hasn't returned yet."
"Felicia... he's only been gone for like... three days."
"I know but it feels longer than that..." Felicia replied. "What if something bad happens to him? What if something bad is happening to him right now? What if he's stuck wherever he is? What if he doesn't go home?!"
"Woah, woah, woah... calm down... and breathe..." Allen tried to reassure the now-panicking woman. "Relax... alright? Just breathe and calm down."
Felicia followed his advice, breathing in and out to calm herself down. After a while, she felt slightly relaxed. She still felt tense but it wasn't as apparent as before.
"Hooh... alright, I feel a bit calmer now... thanks," Felicia gave a small smile. "I'm sorry if I panicked hard right there."
"Heh, it's fine. Glad I could help," Allen smiled back. "And I understand, you're really worried about him. I am too if I'm being honest."
"I know I shouldn't worry this much but I just... I can't help it. I'm well aware that it's been only a few days since he left but... I can't shake off this nagging feeling that maybe... maybe I could've convinced him to change his mind."
Allen went silent for a second before giving a serious response. "You know that's not gonna happen. You already tried before. I did too."
"I know! I... I promised myself that I wouldn't freak out and that I would be calm about this but here I am... freaking out... after two days."
"Three days."
"Y-yeah, three days..." Felicia corrected herself. "Was there really no other way to force him to stay?"
"This is Valon we're talking about. You and I both know how stubborn that smartass is."
"I know... I know that I told him that I was alright with him pursuing this mission of his and I know how much his brother means to him but I wished that he didn't have to go. Or maybe if he had to go... he could've brought us with him..."
"We could bring the entire Omicron if we wanted but you know how strict the higher divisions are when it comes to using Warpgates or anything related to hyperspace travel... the protocols can feel... suffocating at times."
Felicia didn't say anything, instead basking in the sudden silence in which she took comfort in. Allen did the same, both of them not saying a word. They knew how difficult their current situation was for their friend and both were worried sick.
"Do you think... we made the right choice?" Felicia stated, breaking the silence. "To let him go like that? To let him pursue his search for his brother?"
Allen didn't say anything. He remained silent, thinking of the right time to answer. He knew that she had more to say and figured that he would answer when she finally say what he needed to hear from her.
"What if, hypothetically speaking, his brother didn't just disappear in that accident? What if he was actually gone... for good? What if what Valon worked hard for was just one fruitless search? What if it was too late for him to realize and because of that and other things that might happen to him, he might never return home?"
Allen acknowledged Felicia's words and every single word she said made compelling points. He knew as much as everyone else who knew that Valon was gone, that what Valon wanted to pursue was outright stupid. Stupid in hindsight where he was clearly chasing after something that didn't have the highest guarantee of accomplishment due to a huge number of factors, he knew the risk of not being able to communicate back with the division to ask for help, and the risk of the higher divisions knowing of his deviance.
And as his best friend, even if he didn't show it the way Felicia did, he was worried sick for him. He was the first person the technician confided in about his plans regarding his search mission, even claiming that if it was possible, he would also investigate what happened with the other missing Cosmoknights. He was the first to reprimand him about the numerous variables he had to consider and he constantly convinced him to think about it logically before making the decision.
His friend was a man of logic but he also knew how foolishly stubborn he was. And once he started to pursue something, there'd be no one to convince him to stop whatever he needed to accomplish just to pursue it. For a technician who was good at building various machinery, he was quite foolish. But what could he have done?
Allen tried everything he could to force him to stay. He did everything ranging from logical reasoning to downright fighting him where if he lost, he'd stay. Hell, he even resorted to mental manipulation. But Valon just seemed to overcome his attempts to stop him every time and the mental manipulation attempts were all epic failures as he realized that Valon was too smart for him. But nothing he did made him change his mind, but his best friend told him that he respected him for showing that he cared.
Allen knew it was stupid. Felicia knew it was stupid. Their division commander knew it was stupid. Hell, even Valon knew it was outright stupid.
Valon himself knew that what he was about to do was the ultimate definition of stupidity.
But he didn't care.
He wanted to find his brother because he wanted to, he needed to.
He believed that his brother was still out there, waiting to be found.
Even if the chances of his brother being alive were low.
Even if the most logical conclusion that he knew was that his brother was most likely gone for good.
Even if everyone else didn't believe that the Delta Cosmoknights were still out there after a long time of not being found.
No, he didn't care about the factors that were against him.
He was going to build that Warpgate and he was going to find his brother.
Yes, he was dumb, but he was also determined. That despite the odds, he was eager to search his brother's whereabouts no matter where he may be. Cliche as it all sounded, Allen didn't even have the strength to slap him in the face after his friend gave him a sappy speech about his relationship with his brother.
He did, however, punched him in the gut.
But his respect for the man grew more. A smile formed on his face as he relived that moment with his best friend.
With the most unconvincing expression he had, he finally gave Felicia an answer.
"You have every right to be worried about him. And all those things you said are indeed possible. I don't exactly know whether what we did was right or not. I mean we did try to convince him otherwise. That at least meant that we tried to stop him from making that decision. But in the end, nothing we tried worked so we gave in to his wish."
"But what if we tried harder? What if there was a way we could've done to stop him?"
"Like what, destroying the Warpgate he was building? Even if we were his friends, he won't forgive us for that. And what's stopping him from making another one? Although I imagine through his second time that he'll just be more secretive, creating the impression that he doesn't trust us anymore."
"Coming from someone who tried to hypnotize him once?"
"Okay in my defense, he was too smart for that. Destroying the makeshift Warpgate is actually easier to do. But the point is, even if there was something that could've changed his mind, we won't be able to do it."
"Why?"
"Because deep down, we know he's right," Allen sighed in resignation. "He already told me once or twice and I know he said the same thing to you."
Felicia didn't know what he was pertaining to until she remembered what it was.
"We would've done the same if we were in his shoes," Allen continued. "Wouldn't you have done the same if it was your sister? And even if she was gone for a long time and you know to yourself that there was a huge chance that she was gone for good and that no one knew where she was, would you still not look for her? Wouldn't you believe that she was still out there, despite the possibilities that are stacked against you?"
Felicia didn't respond. She had already heard the same statement from Valon before. And even if she agreed with Valon in that regard, she truly wished there was another way.
"And even if he didn't let him come with us, I guess he knows that we have more important responsibilities here..." Allen replied, signs of guilt showing on his face. "Valon wouldn't want you to leave your sister for him."
"I know..." Felicia muttered under her breath, but it was still loud enough for Allen to hear.
Allen then stood up from his seat. He approached the woman and extended his hand to her. She took his hand in hers before standing up. The man gave her a kiss on the forehead before pulling her in a hug which she welcomed openly by embracing him back.
"Shh... it's alright," Allen reassured her, gently caressing her hair. "I miss him too, you know?"
"I... I practically agreed to let him go," Felicia stated, tightening her embrace. "I can't help but feel worried about him and what's worse is that there's no way for us to help him. What if he needs our help right now?"
"Heh... I'm sure he can take care of himself... come on, Valon's not that helpless. Dude can take my punch."
"That's because everyone can take your punch," the woman teased.
"Oh is that a challenge?" Allen pulled back his embrace.
"Maybe?"
The two started at each other with smirks on their faces before laughing at each other at how ridiculous they looked. They stared at each other with loving gazes, the both of them planting their lips on each other passionately for a brief moment before they broke apart.
"Allen, I know I sound like I'm doubting him but—"
"I know, and it's alright. I know how you feel. For the past few days, I couldn't really take my mind off the fact that he was gone. But all we can do right now is hope that he's alright and believe that he'll find his brother and hopefully come back home in no time," Allen smiled before he suddenly had an idea. "But if you're really worried about him, I just remembered something that the lieutenant told me about."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Felicia asked, suddenly growing interested.
"Well, it's a top-secret project that the lieutenant entrusted in telling to yours truly."
Felicia rolled her eyes in amusement after seeing the young man's silly gesture.
"But it's top secret, alright? We can't tell everyone in the division yet. I'm telling you about this because you're my girlfriend anyway, so maybe you're trustworthy..."
"Gee, I'm so proud to be your girlfriend..." Felicia stated sarcastically.
"I know, I'm the best," Allen laughed before standing up.
He motioned his girlfriend to follow her, both of them heading out through the door. Allen closed the lights in his room, pulling a keycard from his pocket and swiping it through the card machine, producing a clicking sound within the door. Allen walked into the hallway, Felicia following him closely. He contemplated how the lieutenant would contact his best friend that was currently in an unknown territory, doubts piling in his mind.
I just hope you know what you're doing Valon. We're all worried sick about you here and it's only been three freaking days. I'm having doubts about all this bro... we all are. But still, wherever you are right now, I hope you're doing alright.
Valon was currently listening in on a discussion that was taking place. Luka had just defeated the Harpy Girl that threatened to kidnap a little boy in the village, resulting in the female villagers gathering around the hero and giving their thanks, moments after that awkward display.
But just when the villagers were giving their appreciation, Alice showed up in her human form, outright destroying the mood. She quickly commented on their cowardice for just letting someone else protect them from the constant harpy attacks that had recently occurred in the village frequently. This resulted in Luka trying his best to reassure the villagers whereas the villagers felt guilty for relying on outsiders to solve their problems for them.
The technician already knew the full story so he remained silent during the discussion and instead focused on assessing everything from the moment he entered the village to the somewhat intriguing battle between Luka and the Harpy Girl.
Ever since coming to Happiness Village, he made it his objective to observe not just Luka but the surroundings as well. He was casually observing the people but he was more focused on figuring out whether there was something out of place.
He didn't want something similar to his time in the Irina Mountains to happen in the village as well. He then heard the little boy scream and Luka making a mad dash toward the source of the noise to investigate. He followed Luka but kept a safe distance away, just far enough that he could observe him closely.
He felt slightly relieved when he saw that the Harpy Girl was there, not because she was there in the literal sense, but because he noticed that it was the same harpy from the game. Pink hair, brown feathered wings, and was wearing the least decent piece of clothing.
At least it was color blue.
Valon's memory of the game wasn't perfect, especially if he tried to delve deeper into intricate details but he at least could recall, to a certain degree, the different appearances of the various monster girls in the game.
Kinda curious about what the monsters that had a CG change would look like later on... especially in Part 3...
Metagaming thoughts aside, Valon observed the fight between the young hero and his feathery foe. The fight went alright if he was being completely honest, despite the unwanted scenario that transpired when the Harpy Girl pinned the hero down. But there was just something about the way Luka fought that he couldn't really figure out.
Sure, he was fighting on his best but he seemed... distracted? Kinda like how he fought that Bee Girl when they were on their way toward the village. At first, he didn't really think too much about it after evaluating him in his battle against the Bee Girl but after seeing the slightly odd gestures that he made when he was fighting the harpy, he thought that there was something wrong going on.
Valon wanted to contemplate the matter more when he heard someone speak loudly. He turned his attention to the crowd, hearing their loud cries and declarations. Though they all spoke their words differently, they all meant one thing.
They wanted to join Luka in rescuing the kidnapped men in the neighboring village of harpies.
The women of the village stated their distress and hoped to help the young hero in his quest. Hearing this made Luka surprised and concerned for the villagers' safety and well-being over the idea of crossing a monster territory. Alice then immediately explained that all he had to do was confront the leader and once she's taken care of, the villagers might stand a chance against the monsters.
Luka seemed reluctant to the idea but after seeing the resolve in the eyes of the villagers, he decided that he'd let them join him. He then stated that he would still be the one to take care of the leader and that all of them should wait for his signal before they can attack. The rest of the villagers agreed with the plan.
"I'll stay."
Valon quickly responded, catching everyone's attention. Both Luka and Alice turned to him with slight curiosity. Valon knew that they didn't necessarily want to hear the answer why but he felt that he should tell them the reason anyway.
"We can't all go and attack the neighboring village while this village is left unattended. What if they knew that you will attack them one day and prepared a plan where if you will indeed attack them, they will all just leave their village and then go here? Then when you all realize that no one's there, you might just go back here, to your village, not knowing that they were setting you all up for an ambush."
The technician's statement made everyone silent, all of them not considering that possibility. Luka also didn't think of that, but he realized that Valon was right and that the monsters might be clever enough to formulate a plan like that.
Alice was utterly surprised. She was amazed by how Valon was able to bring a reasonable issue that was well-thought-out to the table. Not only was it reasonable, but what he told everyone in the village once held truth in history through careful deductions, and Alice knew what it was. She was surprised to know that Valon was somehow aware of it.
Perhaps he was just being cautious after he was almost molested by the Mandragora or maybe his discomfort around monsters had a role to play. Perhaps he really was more educated than she first realized, not just in the field of technology but in other fields as well. Or perhaps he was actually more observant than she gave him credit for and possibly had firsthand experience of the issue if the way he uttered his statement would be of any indication.
Whatever the reason was, she would find out soon enough, alongside her conclusion about him that she had been trying to piece together for a while now.
"Then what do you propose, good sir?"
"Huh?"
Valon didn't expect all eyes to be on him. They were all looking at him as if they awaited his brilliant master plan. The villagers looked at him like he was the smartest person in the group, their eyes held patience for an answer that would solve all their problems.
"Are you... talking to me?"
"Yes traveler, you," one of the villagers answered. "You made a good point about what the harpies might do so we thought that maybe you had a plan."
Valon was both shocked and horrified at the same time that he practically grabbed everyone's attention to him without meaning to. It was the complete opposite of trying not to interfere with Luka's adventure and he felt even dumber that the reason why he explained why he was going to stay in the village was because his companions might ask him if he would join the rescue operation or not.
Gahh... I feel like the dumbest person alive! Why do I keep doing this to myself?
The technician was nervously sweating, thinking of a good response while he scanned the crowd. They were all still waiting for his answer. He turned towards his companions and was frustrated when he saw the same expectant gazes, though he could've sworn that Luka had a strained smile before it instantly changed to his usual approving smile.
Whatever thoughts he had about Luka were drowned when he heard some of them asking him if he was done thinking about the plan of action. Without much of a choice and because of the pressure building inside of him from all of the tension he felt, he finally decided to speak.
"Well... uhh... I mean... it's just a possibility, you know? I don't really know if they would do something like that but we can't be sure, right? But uhh... I don't know, I just thought it'd be logical that I'd stay, maybe even convincing that some might stay here to you know... hold the fort?" Valon sheepishly stated. "I mean I'm not sure... but what do you guys think the best plan of action would be? I mean you know the harpies more than I do... so... yeah..."
"To be honest, we don't know much about them besides that they liked kidnapping the men in our village," one of the villagers replied. "But since you want to stay if you think that they plan to ambush us then I think that it's best that some of us stay here while the rest can go and charge in battle to the neighboring village. Would that be alright for you?"
The villager turned towards Luka, not realizing that he was the one being asked.
"Oh? You're talking to me?" Luka asked, receiving his confirmation when the villager nodded. "Y-yeah... I think that's a logical plan."
The crowd of villagers all nodded in agreement, all sharing the newfound enthusiasm over the idea that they were finally standing up against the harpies who caused them misfortune in their village by kidnapping all of their men.
Meanwhile, the three adventurers all had different expressions once the discussion concluded. One was still surprised and intrigued over someone's intellect, one felt downcast possibly from inadequacy, and the other wanted to punch themselves for making another foolish mistake that could've been easily avoided.
